Operating mechanisms by explosives



(No Model.) 2 Shet's-Sheet 1 G. E; BUELL. OPERATINGMEGHANISMS BYEXPLOSIVES.

.No. 548,741. Patentd mvrmon:

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. G.E.BUELL. OPERATING MECHANISMS BY EXPLOSIVE S.

No. 548,741. Patented Oct. 29, 1895.

Q Q Y L i.

gfifsi z v 4 WIT Es: INVBNTOR: (AIM WW UNITED STATES PATENT O rienCHARLES E. BUELL, OF NORTH PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

OPERATING MECHANISMS BY EXPLOSIVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 548,741, dated October29, 1895.

Application filed May 31, 1388- $ericl No. 275,576. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. BUELL, of

North Plainfield, Somerset county, State of New Jersey, have inventedImprovements in Operating Mechanisms by Explosives, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention consists, primarily, in the combination, with a pipe orpipes provided with pressure-actuated apparatus, of one or moreinlet-ports in said pipe that contain an explo: sive cartridge orcartridges that will explode by heat, whereby an abnormal increase oftemperature around the said pipes will develop pressure within saidpipes and operate said pressure-actuated apparatus, substantially ashereinafter described.

My invention further consists in the combinations and sub-combinationsto be hereinafter described.

By the term cartridge I mean a suitable quantity of a substance ormaterialwhich contains within itself the elements of chemical change forliberating mechanical energy when acted upon by heat and which willremain inert until so acted upon, the said substance, material, orcompound being preferably incased in a shell and comprising a primer andan explosive that is not as easily ignited as, the said primer, as willbe hereinafter-explained.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a tube andapparatus arranged for carrying out my invention. Figs. 2, 3, and 4'showdetails of my invention. Fig. 5 shows a dry pipe system of automaticsprinklers that embodies my invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a pipe or tube T T, with connectionD D and speaking-tube mouthpieces F F, that are normally closed byvalves that can be turned out of the way by their handles hh whendesired to use said tube for oral communication.

At the lower terminus of tube T T a disk or valve (1 covers the mouth ofthe tube, and to this disk is attached a pivoted lever or latch b, thatinterlocks with lever L of a wound-up train 0, the said lover or detentLbeing so arranged that When in the position shown it will be interposedin the Way of the fly-Wheel f of said train, but when the latch b isremoved from supporting the long arm of lever L the said lever willswing away from fan f, releasingthe train O, which in running down willsound an alarm on gong G and make operative an electric circuit d d bythe circuit-controlling wheel D and contact-spring 8.

To make operative the valve or disk 0. to release the alarm mechanism 0,I insertan explosive cartridge E in each of the chambers D D and secureit therein by the screw-cap 0, (shown in Fig. 2,) thescrew-cap beingperforated to expose a portion of the cartridge to the exterioratmosphere, the chamber thus formed being an adjunct to the pipe T T.

A cartridge E,"that will explode by the heat of an incipient fire, isplaced in each of the chambers D, and when fired by the action of heatinto the tubeT T throws back the disk at, making operative the alarmmechanism (3, as described. The cartridge E comprises a primer ofphosphorous compound or an easily fired fulminate or explosive and acharge of a less easily fired material, as common gunpowder. i

The known fulminates in the form of the ordinary percussion-caps andgunpowder do not deteriorate when kept for a long time, as

most of the high explosives do.

Percussion-caps that were put into an ordinary leather cap-pouch beforethe battle of Fair Oaks, Virginia, May 31, 1862, are at the present timeas good as new.

In the Report on Gunpowder, by the Ordnance Department, Washington, D.0., 1844, pages 9 and 275, it states that gunpowder which has been keptwithout special care for thirty-three years gave satisfactory results intests made by the Government.

Because of the fact that properly-prepared cartridges employing afulminate and gunpowder Will not deteriorate, I prefer to make use ofsuch; but I may use any of the explosive compounds that will, under theaction of the heat of a small fire, develop mechanical energy to performthe work required. Referring to Fig. 2, there is shown the branch pipe Tjoined to pipe T T at D, the

These tubes or pipes are. preferably secured upon the ceilings ofapartments and: provided with explodingcartridges at intervals of tenfeet and the lines of pipe placed at like intervals.

Fig. 3 shows a series of pipes T T T entering an annunciator, whichcomprises the drops g (1 as in the well-known form of annunciators usedwith speaking-tubes. A rod of metal R is placed so that when a dropfalls it will rest on said rod, and a battery B is connected to the rodR and dropsq g g by wires g g g. In the circuit thus formed are includeda gong G an'd signal-transmitting box D thatis provided with connectionsto an-outside circuit dd.

The battery 13,.gong G, an'dewbox. D aare well-known devices. 1

Thewmode of operating -thei'drops;q';-q g is shown in Fig. 4 incross-section view, in which T represents a tube having a disk 0.covering its outlet. Movableiwith the disk a'is'alatch b,-'whichnormally holds a drop q in theposition shown. WVhen thediska is forcedback by pressure in thepipe T, the;latch:b islifted and the drop qfalls-against the rod R,:dis-, playinga number or-word todesignate-a'lo-I cality,:an(1 by its contact with the rod R, the dropbeing of metal or faced-"with metal,connects the wires g g, said wiresbeingr'electri: cally connectedto said drop and. saidrod, and byconnecting said circuit-wires the;gong Gr and box D are operated to givethe desired alarm.

In'Fig. 5 there is shown the automatic sprinkler-pipe P, withconnections D, comprising an exploding-chamber, into which thewcar-itridge E is inserted and fits tightly to prevent-'water pressure in the.pipe P from:caus-} ingadrip. A sprinklers is shown. connected therewith.Said sprinklerS- consists-of the nozzle n, closedby avalve-plate thatlisheld to its seat by a cartridge that :willbe' shattered and'dislodged bythe explosion of its contents, which is preferably a charge. ofgunpowder with a sensitive primer J, that will ignite at alowertemperature than gunpowder, as previously explained.

When the cartridge is removed by the-ac tion of heat, the sprinkler isopened. j

From the pipe P a branch pipe extends to a valve A, into which the mainMand pipes Pand 20 enter. The main M is a water-supply pipe. Theopenings of these several'pipes' are normally closed by the metal'plate.valve V, which is held tightly over the several pipes by water-pressureupon its upper surface, the water entering through the orificeiand thetop of the plateVbeing of larger-area than the surface exposed to thepressure from the main M, the vent i) being 'normailyclosed by theplatoon the lever L. When an exploemptying the pipe P when desired. Whenwater has entered the pipe P, it chills the unexplodedcartridges thatmay be in the pipe or its branches and prevents them from explodingunless the heat increases considerably.

The cartridge E for operating the watersupply valve'can be made toexplode at a slightly-lower temperature than the cap J of the sprinklerS with'advantages in the operatingof the valve mechanism. -As thecap Jis not-chilled by the-water in the .pipe P, the

:sprinklerS will.o-penafter the water has entered the; :pipe P.

Intermural cond-uits or otherinclosures may be em-ployedto-gnideandconfine the explo- -si0ns instead of the pipe or tubedescribed.

. Ldo claim herein :the;car-tridge shown and described, and'whieh-is anessentialelement inthe: carrying out of the inveutiomas the :same hasbeen claimed in my subsequent'ap- -plication,--Serial No. 359,698, filedJuly-23,

I claim- 1. The combination with -api-pe, or pipes, and an apparatusoperated by pressures I causedby explosions in said pipe of one or morecartridges connected to said pipe to. ex- .plode therein,substantiallyas described.

:2. ."The'combinationwith a pipe or. pipes, and an apparatus operatedbya-explosions therein, of oneor more thermally exploded cartridges insaid .-pipe,-substantial1y.as described.

The-combination with *ai pipe,or pipes, and-.anapparatus. operated byexplosions in said' pipe, ofone or.-more thermally exploded cartridgesconnected to said: pipe to explode therein each of which cartridgescomprises a primer that is easily -ignited,.and acharge :thatisless'easily ignited, substantially as described.

4.. The combination with a-pipe'and' apparatus operated by pressurescaused byexplosions in said pipe, of a thermally exploded cartridgeconnected tosaid pipe to explode therein, and an automatic sprinklerconnected .to said pipe that is held closed bya cartridge that explodesat a higher temperature than the first named cartridge, substantially asdescribed.

GHARLES' E. BUELL.

Witnesses:

W. (J. BUELL, A. O. BUELL.

ICO

